The WA Department of Health has advised standardised referral criteria will apply to all referrals for public adult neurology and ENT outpatient services in WA from the following dates:
- Adult Neurology RAC – 2 May 2022
- Adult ENT RAC – 16 May 2022
Available via the WA Department of Health Referral Access Criteria webpage, the Referral Access Criteria (RAC) is standardised referral criteria that provides guidance around:
- What conditions will be seen in a public outpatient specialty (and what is excluded)
- What investigations are required to be included with referrals to ensure effective and appropriate triage
- Indicative triage categories to assist you in discussing potential wait times with your patient.
- The Central Referral Service will ensure that all mandatory information as outlined in the RAC has been provided before allocating the referral to the appropriate hospital.
Providing the required information as outlined in the RAC will ensure referrals are processed in a timely, consistent manner, and that the patient’s first appointment will be as meaningful as possible. The RAC Project is part of a series of wider outpatient reform initiatives being led by the WA Department of Health to improve access to services and streamline the outpatient journey for patients.
The Adult Urology RAC was the first RAC to be developed and implemented in November 2021. A further three speciality RACs (ophthalmology, plastic surgery and Respiratory) are also in development and will be published over the coming months.
Further information, including a series of FAQs, is available on the WA Department of Health Referral Access Criteria webpage or for specific questions email the project team at DOHSpecialistRAC@health.wa.gov.au.